Spectrolebias Explained

Spectrolebias is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae. These annual killifish are endemic to seasonal waters (like pools) in the Paraguay, Tocantins–Araguaia, Xingu and Mamoré–Grande basins in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.^{[1] [2] [3]} Each species generally has a small distribution and some are seriously threatened by habitat loss; the entire known range of S. reticulatus is in the area flooded by the Belo Monte Dam.^[4]

They are small fish, up to in total length. As typical of killifish, males are more colorful than females.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Species

Spectrolebias was formerly regarded as a subgenus of Simpsonichthys.^{[5] [6] [7]} Although this split is generally accepted, a genetic study indicates that Spectrolebias is not monophyletic.^[8]

There are currently 9 recognized species in Spectrolebias:

• Spectrolebias bellidoi D. T. B. Nielsen & Pillet, 2015^[1]
• Spectrolebias brousseaui D. T. B. Nielsen, 2013^[2]
• Spectrolebias chacoensis (L. H. Amato, 1986)
• Spectrolebias costai (Lazara, 1991)
• Spectrolebias filamentosus (W. J. E. M. Costa, Barrera & Sarmiento, 1997)
• Spectrolebias inaequipinnatus (W. J. E. M. Costa & G. C. Brasil, 2008)
• Spectrolebias pilleti D. T. B. Nielsen & Brousseau, 2013^[3]
• Spectrolebias reticulatus (W. J. E. M. Costa & D. T. B. Nielsen, 2003)
• Spectrolebias semiocellatus W. J. E. M. Costa & D. T. B. Nielsen, 1997

Notes and References

1. Nielsen, D.T.B. & Pillet, D. (2015): Spectrolebias bellidoi, a new annual fish (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae: Cynolebiatinae) from the upper Río Grande basin, Amazon basin, Bolivia. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 21 (4): 180-187.
2. Nielsen . D.T.B. . Spectrolebias brousseaui (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae: Cynolebiatinae), a new annual fish from the upper río Mamoré basin, Bolivia . Neotropical Ichthyology . 2013 . 11 . 1 . 81–84 . 10.1590/S1679-62252013000100009. free.
3. Nielsen, D.T.B. & Brousseau, R. (2013): Spectrolebias pilleti, a new annual Killifish (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae: Cynolebiatinae) from the upper río Mamoré basin, Bolivia. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (3): 115-122.
4. Nielsen, D.T.B. . M. Martins . R. Britzke . 2014 . Description of a new species of annual fish, Maratecoara gesmonei (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) from the rio Xingu system, Amazon basin, Brazil . Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology . 20 . 2 . 87–96 .
5. Costa, W.J.E.M. . 2010 . Historical biogeography of cynolebiasine annual killifishes inferred from dispersal–vicariance analysis . Journal of Biogeography . 37 . 10 . no . 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02339.x . 86190659 .
6. Costa, W.J.E.M. . 2016 . Comparative morphology and classification of South American cynopoeciline killifishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheilidae), with notes on family-group names used for aplocheiloids . Vertebrate Zoology . 66 . 2 . 125–140 . 10.3897/vz.66.e31538 . free .
7. Loureiro, M. . R. De Sá . S.W. Serra . F. Alonso . L.E.K. Lanés . M.V. Volcan . P. Calviño . D. Nielsen . A. Duarte . G. Garcia . 2018 . Review of the family Rivulidae (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheiloidei) and a molecular and morphological phylogeny of the annual fish genus Austrolebias Costa 1998 . Neotropical Ichthyology . 16 . 3 . e180007 . 10.1590/1982-0224-20180007 . free . 20.500.12008/26301 . free .
8. Ponzetto, J.M. . R. Britzke . D.T.B. Nielsen . P.P. Parise-Maltempi . A.L. Alves . 2016 . Phylogenetic relationships of Simpsonichthys subgenera (Cyprinodontiformes, Rivulidae), including a proposal for a new genus . Zoologica Scripta . 45 . 4 . 394–406 . 10.1111/zsc.12159 . 86027315 .